Simple is often best. A patch of daylight on a simple brick wall is all I needed to create this portrait. Oh, and the coolest kid on the block as my subject. Kai is very cool, very photogenic and completely at ease in front of the camera. I’ve photographed him a few times, and knew how relaxed he would be during this shoot. I asked him to bring his skateboard, and loved how it was nearly as big as him! …
Shooting families with young children? Accompanying everyone on a walk allows you to capture relaxed shots like this one, with everyone being themselves and interacting naturally. It also means you are likely to end up getting muddy… Twiggy, mud-splattered clothing is now an expected part of my appearance after an outdoor shoot. I spend a high proportion of my working day lying on my stomach, trying to get the lowest angle possible. In a portrait like this one, a low …
The Golden Spiral is a compositional tool that helps you create more high-impact portraits. Here’s how I used foreground foliage to create the spiral’s curves. The Golden Spiral is a compositional guideline that helps you place key elements of your scene within naturally powerful areas of the frame. In portraiture, that key element is typically your subject’s face or eyes. The Golden Spiral is based on an ancient design principle that found a ratio of 1:1.618 is the most visually …
The door in the background of this portrait provides a sense of scale, while the boy’s pose calls to mind a much older age group, creating a humorous contrast. Here’s how it came together. Finn is such a charming little chap – he did everything I asked of him and he had a really cool ‘swagger’ about him. I asked Finn to stand in the frame of the door and he did so, looking really cool. Then I said something …
We had a tight brief for this portrait. Here’s how playing games, careful location scouting & controlling diffused daylight all played a part in its creation. This image was commissioned to promote a local beer festival. The brief was very specific: they wanted a red-headed girl playing hopscotch, to be used in a very tall, thin format (you can see the final ad below). If there’s one thing kids love, it’s playing games. Especially when those games involve movement. Enter …
The cover of Mastering Portrait Photography features a portrait of young Ben (who is now a professional rower!). Here’s the story behind our most famous image. You don’t compliment a writer on their keyboard, but so many times good photographers are told ‘you must have a good camera’. Well this was taken on a 6MP Nikon D100, yet it made the cover of our international reference guide, Mastering Portrait Photography. Here’s the story behind the image. Ben was just six …
Sunny days are a mixed blessing: lots of light but it can be harsh & unflattering. Here’s how you can use an unlikely reflector to shoot into the sun instead. Sometimes parents pick a name for their child that fits better than they could ever have hoped. This is Iris, and wow – she has the most incredible eyes. How best to capture them, sparkling with light, on a sunny day, without the pitfalls of direct sunlight? Direct sunlight …
This is the first (test) of how image critiques might work. Please don’t read too much into it – it’s just a prototype! (though the lavender image is beautiful and that is a genuine critique!) If you’re one of our members and would like your images critiqued, please use the ‘Image Critique’ menu option above to submit a file (or more than one of you wish.) Your image will then appear in one of the future episodes! JOIN NOW to …
Asking for smiles from young subjects doesn’t work. Instead, you need to set the right atmosphere, tune into the child’s personality and interact with them. Kids Creating Natural Smiles Energy Creating the Right Atmosphere Framing What happens when you tell a kid to smile for a photograph? At best they pull the corners of their mouth upwards in a pseudo-grin. At worst they find the whole exercise boring and refuse to comply. Equally, if you try and force the fun, …